Here Are The Best Labor Sales To Look Out For This Weekend

For most Americans, Labor Day means the end of summer, shorter
daylight hours, the replacing of outdoor activities with indoor
ones, and back to school for the kids. But the first Monday in
September also means a lot for bargain hunters. And even though
Labor Day isn't considered a consumer holiday — according to
National Retail Federation Spokeswoman Kathy Grannis — retailers
don't tend to miss any opportunity to offer "holiday" sales. And
this Labor Day is no exception.

End of season blowout sales will indeed offer deep discounts on
summer clearance merchandise: BBQs and grills and
gardening supplies will reach rock bottom prices before being
shipped off to a warehouse or consolidator, never to be seen
again. Patio furniture prices, too, will
plummet. And we anticipate seeing markdowns on school supplies,
apparel, sporting goods, home appliances, and electronics.

Back to School Sales

Labor Day sales on back-to-school supplies including apparel and
dorm goods will bring these items to their final markdowns of the
season. In 2011, retailers didn't tally up strong back-to-school sales until September, which is
unusual for the industry. And this year too, merchants are seeing
the same late comers shopping for back to school. But those folks
who have put off picking up a new backpack or school supplies should
know that despite the back to school sales being slow, pickings
are still slim around this time of ear, as continued low prices
have caused products to really move.

Apparel

When it comes to seasonal apparel, Labor Day is filled with end
of season sales. And while last year many shoppers held off
buying apparel until after school started, department stores are
stocked and ready to offer steep discounts. For example, Labor
Day at Macy's brings discounts of up to 50%
off women's and kids' apparel, and up to 75% off
menswear.

But fall fashion is fresh and likely won't see its best prices
until October and November when retailers start clearing space
for holiday displays. Instead, stock up on end of season summer
clothes, as these items are at some of their best prices of the
year.

Sporting Goods

Another theme in many Labor Day sales is the great outdoors. As
such,sporting goods, hunting equipment, and fishing
and camping gear move into the spotlight.
And though summer may be nearing its end, many outdoor activities
are far from over. REI's Labor Day Sale started August 24
and runs through September 3 and is offering customers up to 30%
off outdoor gear and clothing. Backcountry's semi-annual
"Let The Gear Hoarding Begin" sale began early
too, taking up to 50% off hundreds of items from paddle sport and
camping gear, to bikes and fitness apparel.

Likewise Cabelas is clearing out summer sports gear
during its Labor Day Sale. Not to be outdone, Bass Pro's Labor Day Sale is going big with up
to 60% off items that range from ATV gear to hunting equipment.
And a Labor Day sale at Gander Mountain means 40% off hunting and
fishing gear.

Home Goods and Appliances

Starting small, but offering big discounts, Labor Day sales from
the likes of Kohl's and Sears offer discounts via coupons on home
goods, appliances, bedding, and bath needs ranging from at least 30% to
70% off. For bigger ticket items like kitchen appliances, Best
Buy is a good bet. Its Labor Day Sale is slashing 10% to
25% off major appliances, plus taking an additional 5% off when
consumers use a Best Buy
credit card. We're also seeing free installation offers from the
retailer, particularly on all dishwashers and microwaves on sale.
What's more, beginning September 2, we expect to see even more
savings across the store, including on televisions, cameras, and
computers.

Electronics

Speaking of electronics, we're poised to see considerable savings
from newegg's Labor Day Blowout Sale, which includes sale
prices on HDTVs, cameras, speakers, and video games. Newsletter subscribers got a heads up
on August 28 — alerting them to more than 100 products on sale
through September 3 — but everyone can enjoy savings of up to 65%
off on electronics including camcorders and home theater
equipment. hhgregg, too, is taking at least 33% HDTVs
and appliances, and bumping an extra 5% off items priced at $499
or greater when customers use an hhgregg credit card.

While retailers like Fry's, Best
Buy, Target, Walmart,
and Sears are closely guarding specific Labor Day deals until the
weekend is actually here, many consumers are getting a jump on
these sales and deals online. Some merchants, notably Fry's and
Sears, have launched pre-Labor Day sales that run through
tomorrow or even Saturday in order to entice shoppers both online
and in-store before their Monday sales. No matter how you slice
it, though, we expect to see some solid Labor Day sales on a
variety of consumer goods both in-store and online.